Pantheism- Naturalistic Spirituality

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A religion old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the universe as revealed by modern science, might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths.
Sooner or later, such a religion will emerge.

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Hi y'all! Please be aware that there's been a very active discussion at Hang With Friends on spirituality. If you decide to join, and add to that discussion, it will be an opportunity to link back to this group. I encourage Hang With Friends members to promote existing groups. BTW, that discussion is how I learned about your group, so I joined.

I'm with you on this explanation and clarification, Howard. Gives me another reason to consider tossing out the word "spirituality" altogether. We all want/need "something bigger" I suppose. I would say Nature is big enough.

very much along the lines that I would use the word. However, I have become convinced through discussion on this site (not this group) that such a definition is rendered moot by both theists and atheists propensity to automatically attach a supernatural aspect to it. In fact - I'm pretty certain that just your use of the word 'meaningful' might 'irrevocably suggest' to them that that is what you mean. Oh well ... I'm pretty sure that I get you mean nothing of the sort. Avatar actually suggested a purely scientific reason for an effect that was 'misinterpreted' by the indigenous population as 'super-natural.'

If "spirituality" can be redefined as a meaningful inter-connection of natural relationships then I view "Avatar" as moving in the right direction. I enjoy the fantasy sci-fi and amazing effects while questioning the super-natural elements and clear borrowing of indigenous language, customs and ritual. As a (perhaps mythic, Nature-celebrating) story, I'd give it a greenthumb's up.

I haven't seem Avatar yet but it sounds like it has supernatural elements to it. Still, it's getting a lot of people to search the word "Pantheism" and find out about it, and the top search returns (apart from the appalling and crazy Wikipedia article, which we are trying to remedy) is the 100% naturalistic World Pantheist Movement.

Thanks for passing this on, Katrina. I like the Marcus Aurelius quote: "Everything is interwoven, and the web is holy; none of its parts are unconnected. They are composed harmoniously, and together they compose the world."

Claudia,
Not sure that's a compliment to add a "t" to my name, even if I was born on Christmas! Anyway, good thoughts. I simply think the semantics get in the way here. "God" comes with all kinds of mental baggage. "Nature" comes with. . .countless images and they're all interconnected parts of the whole, the cosmos. Not sure what you mean exactly by "the machine universe" because that assumes a Mechanic. I do not personify Nature or really even deify Nature (yes, there is probably inconsistency in my position, however, how do we talk about these things rationally? Semantics again). Far before the Europeans (or Christians), the Indians, the Greeks and even Romans gave "form" to human images. There are plenty of paradoxes to go around with these things. Not sure how to "get to know what the real truth is." I think we are ultimately left with our inter-relationship with Nature. There is nothing more, is there?